Category Archives: Social Media

Front Porch Forum is hiring! We are seeking a Ruby on Rails Developer to join our team. This position is full-time and based in Burlington, Vermont. Be part of a world-class team of software engineers, and help us fulfill our community-building mission. Check out the details and apply here.

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Iran’s “Blogfather,” Hossein Derakhshan, in a recent interview on the NiemanStoryboard…

“The decline of the web in favor of social media entails grim consequences. Hyperlinks were the founding principle of the web; it secured a diversity, nonlinearity, decentralization and interactivity, which made the web so powerful. But social media’s very philosophy and monetization strategy, or the stream, cannot be friendly to hyperlinks, since they do not want their users to leave their space. This new environment, in addition to the currently dominant algorithms, which favors popularity and now-ness rather than diversity and quality, is worse than television in its potential damage to representative democratic societies, where majority is supposed to take informed decisions without jeopardizing minorities. The rise of identity politics and intolerance for diversity is directly linked to the current form of the internet. This is the deepest shock of this transition to me since my release. This shift from what I call books-internet to TV-internet.”

Unlike some other social media platforms, Front Porch Forum doesn’t aim to lure people in and hold their attention 24/7. FPF, for many Vermonters, is a 10-minute-a-day habit that leads to more face-to-face conversations with neighbors… and to friendlier, more informed, and more resilient local communities. Hyperlinks in FPF postings are an important part of that.

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2017 marked the moment when Front Porch Forum saw its one-millionth posting! Celebrating 10 years helping neighbors connect and build community, FPF has experienced tremendous growth and accomplishments to serve every community in Vermont.

Take note of these FPF Milestones:

• More than 1 million postings made by our members• 3.5 million e-newsletters sent every month• More than 130,000 members…in a state with only 260,000 households

Co-Founder, Michael Wood-Lewis notes “we couldn’t be happier about the impact FPF has had across Vermont. Once people have an easy and safe way to communicate with neighbors, they do! And that simple act adds up. The cumulative impact is huge… after months of FPF, people often report feeling more connected to neighbors, more tuned in to local goings on, and more a part of their community. And in many cases, people then become more active… organizing a group yard sale, mentoring a local kid, volunteering for a park clean-up, voting on election day, and, most recently, helping each other during Blizzard Stella. That’s what FPF is all about!”

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As Front Porch Forum celebrates 10 years helping neighbors connect and build community, our team has grown and evolved. FPF serves every community in Vermont, and 130,000 members participate out of the 260,000 households that exist in the state. Our staff has grown and evolved to better serve our members and business community. Take a look at our dynamic sales team.

New AdditionsJodi Harrington is an 8th generation Manchester, Vermont gal and 5th generation graduate from Burr and Burton Academy. Previous owner/editor of the Winooski Eagle newspaper and marketing director for both Onion River Co-op and Opportunities Credit Union, Jodi’s small business marketing skills are a great advantage to businesses utilizing FPF. She’s a strong activist in her communities having served on both the Winooski School Board and City Council. She loves the mountains and can be often found on the slopes (she is a level 3 PSIA ski instructor who has taught at Bromley, Smuggs, Whiteface, Bolton, Stowe and Burke).

Wendy Wilson brings her 20 years of experience in marketing, public education and communications to Front Porch Forum. She’s been actively involved in the fabric of Vermont through past work with Chittenden Solid Waste District, Vermont Commons School and Energy Action Network. In addition to her role at Front Porch Forum, Wendy also works part-time for VBSR. She has two teenage daughters and lives in Bristol where she enjoys cycling, traveling, cooking, reading and walking her dog Stella.

Celebrating Five YearsSuzie McCoy has helped local businesses connect with FPF members since 2012. She’s seen FPF membership double in that time, and has a genuine enthusiasm for the important role that FPF plays in our communities. Fluent in French, Suzie earned a master’s degree in education, and has taught at the high school and college levels. She’s an active volunteer and cofounded the Vermont nonprofit Action Coalition for Media Education, and currently serves as school board vice chair. Mom to her 12-year old son, you can find her pursuing a number of outdoor activities year round.

PromotionCongratulations to Gisele Nelson, who after six years with FPF has been promoted to Sales Team Manager. Gisele started her tenure with FPF as an intern while she was a student at UVM. Her skills were quickly put to work as she took on a role in both Member Support and as an Online Content Manager. She built a strong rapport with many local businesses while in these roles which led her into the sales realm at FPF. Gisele’s strength in balancing her work and understanding of needs from both members and local businesses, combined with her strong inter-office communication skills, led her into this newly developed role at FPF.

Front Porch Forum celebrates 10 years helping neighbors connect and build community. Using technology to bring neighbors closer together, members of a local forum submit their own messages, which FPF distributes to nearby residents as an online newsletter. Because the service is moderated and real names accompany postings, the discussions remain civil, engaging, and relevant. FPF is popular, because it works. Ask any of our sales team staff how they can help put your business in the forefront of neighborhood conversations with our active, engaged membership.

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“Recently our State Senator posted on FPF about a Public Hearing. I am so thankful to have an easy and bipartisan way to hear about local government issues.

“This posting was a perfect use of Front Porch Forum. No matter your political opinion, it is important to understand what is going on in our local government.

“I encourage all of our elected leaders to use FPF to announce opportunities to effect change! Remember that they are working for us and we deserve democracy. Think global, act local!”
—Chloe, Williston FPF

Ask your legislators to use FPF to keep you tuned in about what’s going on in the State house.

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“Just wanted to send out a quick PSA and let everyone know that there is apparently a ski/snowboard thief going around to most of the local resorts (Sugarbush, Smugg’s, Bolton, Stowe). My skis and poles were stolen last night from Bolton and the desk employee informed me there have been about 5-10 other reports just in the last 2 days. Please be cautious and lock/watch your things!”• Jenessa, Richmond Front Porch Forum

Has your gear been stolen this season? Pitch in by telling your neighbors on FPF.

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“While some of you on this inaugural day (Jan. 20) might be mourning some kind of national tragedy, I’m most distraught by what my son told me: The breakfast waffle treat his class earned through safe, kind, responsible acts was served with… [deep breath, gather myself]…
Log Cabin syrup.

“While I appreciate our local education system maintaining fiscal responsibility, I think I speak for the entire universe when I say… let’s not be savages.”

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“A few weeks ago I posted on our Front Porch Forum seeking recommendations for XC boots in our area, and several people wrote to say Onion River Sports was the place to go. So we went there and, sure enough, my sister found the perfect boots. The salesperson patiently helped her get fitted properly, and, after years of XC skiing, she says these are the best boots she’s ever had. Yay for Onion River Sports and FPF posters. Thanks again!”
• Kathy, East Montpelier FPF

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… social media represents the ultimate ascendance of television over other media.

I’ve been warning about this since November 2014, when I was freed from six years of incarceration in Tehran, a punishment I received for my online activism in Iran. Before I went to prison, I blogged frequently on what I now call the open Web: it was decentralized, text-centered, and abundant with hyperlinks to source material and rich background. It nurtured varying opinions. It was related to the world of books.

Then for six years I got disconnected; when I left prison and came back online, I was confronted by a brave new world. Facebook and Twitter had replaced blogging and had made the Internet like TV: centralized and image-centered, with content embedded in pictures, without links.

Like TV it now increasingly entertains us, and even more so than television it amplifies our existing beliefs and habits. It makes us feel more than think, and it comforts more than challenges. The result is a deeply fragmented society, driven by emotions, and radicalized by lack of contact and challenge from outside…